LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

JABS FOR ALL: Vax bus to tour the state WHAT’S STOPPING LOCALS ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES JACK EVANS REPORTS FROM SHEFFIELD

THE state government’s vaccination push will hit the road with a vax bus heading to small towns with a low uptake.

Four out of five eligible Tasmanians will have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by this weekend but some parts of the state are still lagging behind.

Communities such as Miena, Penguin and Beauty Point will be visited by a bus-based clinic operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Department of Health, with the aim of filling gaps in vaccine coverage.

A MOBILE clinic will visit small towns with low vaccination rates around the state, the state government has announced.

Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Thursday four out of five eligible Tasmanians will have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by this weekend.

He said a small-town vaccination program would start over coming days in an attempt to reach the 95,000 people who have still not been jabbed.

Around 15 communities with low vaccinations rates will be visited by a bus-based clinic operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Department of Health.

Communities such as Miena, Penguin and Beauty Point will be among those visited to fill in gaps in vaccine coverage.

“This is part of our plan to ensure all Tasmanians have had an opportunity to get vaccinated,” Mr Rockliff said.

The state government has set a target of a 90 per cent vaccination rate, plus 100 per cent of Tasmanians being offered a vaccine, before restrictions on interstate travel are relaxed.

Mr Rockcliff told a media briefing in Hobart that next week was Mental Health Week and it was understandable that people were feeling anxious after the recent positive case in Launceston.

“While Tasmanians have demonstrated incredible resilience over the Covid outbreak, it is an important and timely reminder for people to look after themselves,” he said.

Authorities were keeping an eye on developments interstate ahead of a decision on whether to reopen borders, expected in early December.

The 17 close contacts of the Launceston teenager with the Delta variant of the virus will be tested again over the weekend. All have so far returned negative tests, as have 51 casual contacts.

Mr Rockliff urged all people in the Newnham area to be tested if they experienced any symptoms.

A drop-in mobile clinic had been set up in the suburb.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said it was still possible someone could return a positive test over the next week or so.

“We know we’ve got on to this case and their contacts quite quickly and that’s why it’s important we await this next round of tests before we draw any conclusions about whether they have infected anyone else,” he said.

The teenager and his father are in isolation in a Hobart medi-quarantine hotel.

Acting state health commander Dale Webster said pop-up clinics were being rolled out in areas with low vaccination rates.

He said clinics would be open for bookings and walkins at Launceston, Sheffield, Roseberry, Huonville, Brighton, Ouse, Scottsdale and New Norfolk in the coming days.

Labor health spokeswoman Anita Dow said vaccination rates across many LGAs were concerning and the government should look to improve and review its approach to the rollout of vaccine clinics across our communities.

“The government need to prioritise better local access to vaccine clinics and testing across the state, and especially in Launceston and its northern suburbs,” she said.

“There is an obvious need for more walk-in vaccination clinics to be stood up in our communities where there are low vaccine rates.”